This is a discussion on Early game strategy within the online poker forums, in the Tournament Poker section; What is your strategy when it come to playing the early game of a tournament? I donít think my aggressive start is working out too

If its a freezeout, tighter to me is better, if it's a rebuy tourney, you can play a little more aggressive.

#4

September 19th, 2018, 4:54 PM

xbronk

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: texas holdem

Posts: 457

In the beginning you have to be aggressive but reasonable I do not say that you can bounce all in. So you have AA if not reasons that can get you out of the tournament very easy so presumed to have the winning hand at the statisticians level I have lost more hands AA prflop than I have won prefieor make ups and resubidad that an all in if you give a project to a letter for color or ladder clear run influence other things too

#5

September 19th, 2018, 5:00 PM

8bod8

Posts: 1,295

Most game theories will advise you to observe a few rounds every time you change table, but certainly at the start of a tournament.
First play tight and collect info on your opponents, then start to play more hands.

#6

September 19th, 2018, 5:21 PM

kowrip

Game: NL Holdem

Posts: 162

For the first few levels, you want to play tight and aggressive. However, don't risk too much of your stack early on unless you have a very strong hand. Once the blinds increase a few times and the antes start, you must loosen up your starting hand requirements and keep up the aggression. It helps if you can do this before the other players because (1) your tight play earlier will help you get more folds and (2) once the other players also loosen up, you'll want to shift back to a tighter playing style. Tournaments require constantly changing up your playing style and knowing exactly when to change is the key.

#7

September 19th, 2018, 9:00 PM

muraokaps

Posts: 7

re: Poker & Early game strategy

I play very tight early on, because the chips don't have much value as they have later on, and also because I have no idea of what my opponents are playing with. That's my strategy.

#8

September 19th, 2018, 9:05 PM

joe mckenzie

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdíem

Posts: 6

Thanks for the insight guys, itís very much appreciated. Love a friendly community which is willing the help and discuss everything related to poker

#9

September 21st, 2018, 3:53 PM

pabloT

Posts: 26

ever tight.

#10

September 21st, 2018, 5:32 PM

elizeuof

Online Poker at: PartyPoker

Game: texas holdem

Posts: 428

Paid tournaments I tend to play more tight, freerolls will depending on the opponents style, generally I play more loose.

I play aggressive, unless that there anyone who are callstation or that always raise my bets.

I advise you to choose your hands in according of your place in the table, prefer play in the last position, don't get involved in hands with many raises before you, unless if you have the top of your range.

Aggressivenes is also important, but there are some moments that the is more proflitable, like when you are in the last position with so many players in the hand, call in this situation with suited conectors and anothers good especulative cards can be lucrative, I per exemple like to play low pais against many players, when I hit a set on the flop, generally I win a lot of chips, but with caution against flush, straight or if appears two pairs in the board, difficily will be other set, but if you suspect someone has, be careful.

#11

September 21st, 2018, 5:39 PM

Tatomircg

Posts: 109

Originally Posted by joe mckenzie

What is your strategy when it come to playing the early game of a tournament? I donít think my aggressive start is working out too well and Iíd love to get feedback on this.

use a few chips from the stack to play the hands that u normally don t play...maybe u get lucki...lets say 500 chips out of 2000 ....to play around

#12

September 21st, 2018, 8:49 PM

Edvin55555

Posts: 129

I play in extremely tight style. I don't bluff because players on pokerstars are pretty tough and smart to make heroic calls.

#13

September 21st, 2018, 11:15 PM

jmateuspoker

Poker at: poker stars

Game: Holdem fan

Posts: 252

EARLY TOURNMENT

Search tigh play at the beginning and in position with hands that are playable

And if you have good hands do normal raises 2-4 x or higher if your hand is strong and there is very limp

Anyway conservative plays since the beginning everyone has a stack with many big blinds and this can cause a cooler is more frequent

mateuspoker

#14

September 21st, 2018, 11:37 PM

radartodd69

Online Poker at: America's Ca

Game: holdem

Posts: 406

re: Poker & Early game strategy

Early game is good for constructing good hands. I play what I think might make a good hand such as small suited connectors, pocket pairs and large suited connectors. What I'm trying to do with these preflop selections is make a strong hand (3 of a kind or better)sometimes a 2 pair is not bad either.

#15

September 21st, 2018, 11:57 PM

gabpoker

Poker at: ACR

Posts: 307

For me it depends a lot on the opponents. If I have a decent edge I try and play tight and look for spots to exploit my edge. If I don't have an edge then I will try to play more balanced.

#16

September 21st, 2018, 11:59 PM

perrywh

Posts: 152

I play position with any suited connectors online.

#17

September 22nd, 2018, 1:09 AM

RDSIV023

Posts: 8

Playing loose is ok early but you should try tightening up as you get closer to the bubble; if you don't you can be playing great but loosen up too much and and next thing you know.... Gone! You wasted not only time but great play that should have rewarded you with at least the ITM... I HATE when I do that dumb shit!!!!

#18

September 22nd, 2018, 1:13 AM

vpashuta

Online Poker at: Bet On Line

Game: holdem

Posts: 385

Tight play is best early. Blinds are small and it only takes one big hand to put yourself into a good spot. Be patient.

#19

September 22nd, 2018, 3:31 PM

pancho_1954

Posts: 262

depending on which tournament is and the time of the blinds passive game and as the tournament progresses I play a little more aggressive, although I do not always do the same, sometimes aggressive start and then with more calm, many times it varies

#20

September 22nd, 2018, 3:41 PM

w0oferr

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: NLH,8-game

Posts: 41

3bet with very tight range. Play in position and try to find good spots to win a huge pot and double up.
Interesting to know how you guys are playing situations like this early in a tourney(50+BBs deep): AQo in SB after UTG open, AJs in UTG +2 after UTG open and medium pairs in the BB vs a EP raiser and a BTN caller?

#21

September 22nd, 2018, 4:21 PM

Psyanide14

Posts: 388

re: Poker & Early game strategy

If itís a freeroll or a micro stakes tournament Iíll play tight early unless I have KK or AA as too many people go all in early. Once the crazies are gone Iíll loosen up. The advantage there too is if you are at the same table and people are paying attention, they mark you as tight so you can steal some pots then too.

More reasonable tournaments and the freeroll club CC Iíll play more hands as Iím not as afraid someone will go all in after I raise.

#22

September 22nd, 2018, 5:22 PM

jamie Smith

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: NLH

Posts: 38

I always play tight in the early stages of the MTT.... until the next phase where your close to the bubble, if you have a reasonable stack, people start tightening up to protect their chip stacks to min cash... Deffo Tight at the start... only play monsters

#23

September 22nd, 2018, 5:29 PM

poliaris747

Posts: 997

I understand the most important thing, play as the most comfortable you!! And if you are not comfortable playing, then there will be mistakes and losses.

#24

September 22nd, 2018, 5:42 PM

kapobar

Posts: 850

Play tight, dont risk early when a blinds small, be agressive in position latter.

#25

September 23rd, 2018, 9:15 PM

alfadog85

Posts: 1,237

In the early stages of the tournament I play very tight and try to avoid difficult decisions.

#26

September 23rd, 2018, 9:28 PM

discintildeath

Online Poker at: ACR/BO

Game: Holdem

Posts: 159

As always so many factors that should dictate how you play... mostly the feeling you get at the table should help direct you to a style of play. If it is easy to pick up blinds with mid range hands doing so can get you ahead of the game for when you know you have the nuts and someone is going to double you up. Continuing to build a stack as the blinds raise is important and however far you get away from the average stack above or below can change the way you play.

If you fall behind you may need to open up when the table feels weak and steal some pots with continuation bluffs. If you get ahead and notice someone trying to steal blinds a lot then you can put a stop to this and maybe risk losing a decent lead to continue being dominant at the table. In any case if you just sit around and wait you can get behind quickly depending on how quickly the blinds are going.

#27

September 23rd, 2018, 9:47 PM

Amanda A

Poker at: ACR

Game: holdem

Posts: 805

Sometimes early on because the blinds are small its sometimes fun to take a look at more flops with mediocre or spec hands that you can't afford to play later.

#28

September 23rd, 2018, 9:55 PM

2Rockets2

Online Poker at: Acr

Game: Nlh

Posts: 44

re: Poker & Early game strategy

Originally Posted by joe mckenzie

What is your strategy when it come to playing the early game of a tournament? I donít think my aggressive start is working out too well and Iíd love to get feedback on this.

Early or late i recomend playing tight the whole way until you drop to say 15bbs then open shove with strong and medium stringth hands such as pkt 6s-10s KQ QJ and J10

#29

September 23rd, 2018, 10:15 PM

Sil3ntness

Poker at: Carbon

Game: NLHE

Posts: 1,152

Like said earlier, I also like to play tight at the beginning. The risk vs reward doesn't seem that much to play marginal hands out of position. At the beginning there are no antes so you are only winning the blinds. So I tighten up at the start.

Once the blinds start getting bigger and antes are in play, I definitely widen my range. A good mixture of pocket pairs, suited connectors, and etc. are thrown in the mix. I try to keep around the average chip count if possible so that I don't blind out by the time the blinds get too high.

MTTs are a marathon not a race so you don't have to get all the chips immediately. It definitely helps though to get a big stack going into the ante phase.

#30

September 23rd, 2018, 11:03 PM

HeyMan

Online Poker at: Blackchip

Game: Omaha

Posts: 128

I play position and mix it up a lot the 1st few hours with almost no bluffs. MTTs are a marathon not a race so chipping up slowly is fine and getting more aggressive once in the money works well for me ...

#31

September 24th, 2018, 5:32 PM

FunkNShine

Poker at: ACR

Game: Hold EM!

Posts: 87

Originally Posted by Sil3ntness

Like said earlier, I also like to play tight at the beginning. The risk vs reward doesn't seem that much to play marginal hands out of position. At the beginning there are no antes so you are only winning the blinds. So I tighten up at the start.

Once the blinds start getting bigger and antes are in play, I definitely widen my range. A good mixture of pocket pairs, suited connectors, and etc. are thrown in the mix. I try to keep around the average chip count if possible so that I don't blind out by the time the blinds get too high.

MTTs are a marathon not a race so you don't have to get all the chips immediately. It definitely helps though to get a big stack going into the ante phase.

Good advice, I get a little too aggro in the beginning, steal some worthless blinds them get called
For everything later in the game

#32

September 24th, 2018, 6:20 PM

evenstacknow13

Posts: 9

when you start a tourney fromt he beginning your usually about 100bbs deep. So based on that and based on position you should be opening fairly wide!

#33

September 24th, 2018, 6:39 PM

Gyry

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: NLHE

Posts: 200

tight on early game, even if i have pair

#34

September 24th, 2018, 6:45 PM

neiroob

Posts: 292

I have a strategy in the early stages of the tournament, it's easy to wait for a good hand and play with it, while the blinds are small, you can go with small pocket pairs and small bunches.

#35

September 24th, 2018, 7:21 PM

Gazelvage930

Posts: 3

re: Poker & Early game strategy

How to behave with a hand like an AK on a tribet at an early stage of the game?